1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to interior electrical lighting devices and, more particularly, to an improved lighting device affording a continuous wall and/or ceiling of uniform light illumination.
2. Prior Art
Many electrical devices have been proposed for lighting areas of interior walls and/or ceilings. Certain of such devices are of extended surface area and include a number of spaced light bulbs. In most such instances access thereto for repair and replacement of the bulbs is difficult. Moreover, the front panels of such devices of any extended area are held in brackets, grids and the like which interpose solid, light-interfering support bars and the like between the light bulbs and the viewer, thus breaking up the illumination. It would be desireable to provide an improved wall and ceiling lighting device of simplified construction, easy accessibility to the lighting elements and improved illumination.
Certain devices have been proposed for dance floors and which provide light to an extended surface area, but have numerous drawbacks. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,329,739 and 4,340,929. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,739 a portable roll-up lighted disco dance floor is proposed which employs a CO2 generator and sequential lighting controls. The device comprises boxes or slots which are hinged together to permit them to be rolled up, each slot having its own fluorescent tube. Such a device is expensive and complicated and does not afford simultaneous easy access to a plurality of burned out bulbs. It also has little applicability to a wall and ceiling light device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,928 discloses a dance floor having interlocked panels with light-interfering designs in or behind their upper surfaces. The panels each include male and female electrical and mechanical connectors and are very expensive and complicated to fabricate and assemble. The device is similar to that described above with respect to its deficiencies.
A far simpler device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,025 for use in lighting a stage. It comprises a box with hinged reflective panels bearing angled foot lights. Such a device, however, does not provide uniform illumination over an extended area and could not be used effectively for wall and ceiling lighting.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a simple, inexpensive wall and ceiling lighting device which can provide a whole wall or ceiling of unimpeded uniform illumination, with easy access to the lighting elements. Such improved illumination would be better for reading and general viewing purposes and would provide a unique decorative effect.